Beast of Burden
by PickingUpSlack
Summary: AU. AH. In modern day Chicago, good girl Elena Gilbert finds herself struggling against falling in love with a deviously handsome member of a gang. Delena.
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries.**

**Please note that there is heavy language, dark themes, and sex scenes in the chapters to come.**

**1.**

Elena Gilbert stepped out of the library at closing time, waving goodbye to the librarian as she did so. Her eyes swept the dark and empty parking lot, and she sighed as she realized that once again, her older brother Jeremy was late in picking her up. She pulled out her cell phone and called him, huffing when she got his voice mail, but decided to leave a message for him instead of just hanging up.

"Jer, not even kidding, this is the fifth time this month that you've been late picking me up! I know you're busy, but you are always telling me how unsafe it is on the streets! Leaving me alone in an empty parking lot is not showing good safety practices! Call me back soon, I love you."

She sat down on the curb with the cell clenched in her hands nervously looking around. She was so mad at her brother for forgetting her again, but she never forgot to say that she loved him. After the loss of their parents, both of them knew how fleeting time was.

As the minutes crept into the half hour, she started to get worried. Not for herself, but for her brother. For reasons unknown to her, after the death of their parents, and they moved in with their Aunt Jenna, her brother started running with a gang called the Machiavellians. She thought it was just a phase, borne out of grief, but now that he was in his fifth year in the gang, and the leader, she realized it was a permanent life choice, and one she wasn't proud of.

His being in charge of the gang was the sole reason for him not wanting her out on the streets alone at night, or anytime for that matter. He would never leave her waiting this long if something wasn't wrong.

She was starting to get chilly sitting on the curb, the fall Chicago night affecting her, causing her goose bumps. She opened her phone, preparing to call one of her friends, Bonnie Bennett or Caroline Forbes, when a motorcycle roared into the parking lot and came to a screeching stop in front of her.

Her jaw dropped as the man sitting astride the motorcycle pulled off his helmet to reveal a perfect, handsome face. He dangled the helmet on one of the handle bars and leaned forward predatorily. "Elena Gilbert?" He asked in a silky voice, seemingly ignoring her open jaw, but she could tell by his smirk that he had noticed, and was enjoying the attention.

"Do I know you?" She asked carefully, not giving away any answer to the question. With her brother being in his position, she knew better than to give her name out to any stranger on the street.

He chuckled, still straddling the running bike, the dark machine matching his own darkness perfectly. With his black jeans, shirt, leather jacket, and hair, the man seemed to be made out of shadows, blending in seamlessly with the darkness. She was struck by the raw sensuality in his gaze, and shivered a little when he answered her in a low tone. "You're careful. I like that. Never know who to trust around here." He winked at her, which she answered with an eye roll that seemed to delight him. "My name is Damon Salvatore, I'm an… ah… _associate_ of your brother. He got caught up with something and asked me to come pick you up."

She narrowed her eyes at his explanation, taking 'associate' to mean he was a member of her brother's gang. "Are you a Machiavellian?" She asked cautiously, thinking as she stared up at him from her seat on the curb, that she should get up. Him being so much higher up than her put her at a psychological disadvantage that she didn't appreciate. He raised an eyebrow at her question, and then inclined his head slightly, leaving her to take that as a yes. "Prove it." She demanded, once again seeming to amuse him in some way.

Wordlessly he rolled up his right sleeve and leaned down so she could see what was on it. There, right at the crease of the elbow, where a doctor would normally draw blood, was tattooed the letter 'M' in old English script.

"Anyone could get a tattoo," she said, but she was warming up to him now that she saw the ink on his skin.

He leaned back up to sit fully on the bike, and his eyes darkened at her statement, as he stared down at her. "Anyone with that tattoo has earned it; no one else is fucking stupid enough to walk around with it if they haven't." He replied chillingly, causing her to shiver for the second time that night, this time having nothing to do with the cold. She wondered idly what one had to do to 'earn' the tattoo.

They stared down each other, her looking up, and him looking down, and until finally he sighed, saying, "Fuck this," and turning off the bike and swinging off of it.

Immediately she was off the curb and backing away from him warily eyeing him as one does an animal that might attack. She was suddenly aware of how much bigger he was then her, with him straddling the bike, he didn't seem as intimidating. He was now though, all six foot four of him approaching her.

He rolled his eyes and said, "Relax, I'm calling your brother." He pressed some numbers on his phone, held it to his ear, and then handed it to her when the person on the other end picked up.

"Jeremy?" She asked tentatively.

"Elena?" He replied sounding confused.

"Jeremy! Why didn't you pick me up?"

"Calm down," he snapped, and then seemed to get control of his temper. "I got caught up with something, but I sent Damon to pick you up. You're on his phone, but where are you guys? Still at the library? Don't tell me, you wouldn't get on the bike with him." When she said nothing, he chuckled. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that you're being careful, but believe me, you can trust Damon, I wouldn't send him to you if he wasn't trustworthy." She glanced at the man in question, and he waggled his eyebrows with a mischievous grin as if he knew what they were talking about. Her brother sighed heavily, bringing her attention back to the conversation. "Just get on the bike with him, tell him to drive _carefully_, he's carrying precious cargo. I'll see you home in twenty minutes."

With that, he hung up, leaving her shaking her head at his parting words. She handed Damon back his phone, relaying Jeremy's message to drive safe, which he took with a roll of his eyes. "Can we go?" She asked finally. "I'm freezing out here, and I have a paper to type up." He immediately straightened up, shrugging off his jacket and handing it to her, while simultaneously grabbing her messenger bag to put in the tiny trunk of his bike.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" She asked him holding the jacket by the tips of her fingers away from her body as if it was a disgusting animal.

"You put it on, if we crash, it's going to protect you from road rash. Glad you wore jeans and sneakers today. Sure you're not psychic?" He asked with a playful grin, as he straddled the bike once more, turning it on and revving the engine loudly, waiting for her to get on.

She reluctantly put the jacket on and swung clumsily onto the bike, sitting as far back in the seat as possible, to avoid touching him. She had never been on one before, not even with her brother; he said it was too dangerous. She wondered why he was taking the chance now.

"How often do you crash?" She asked nervously, raising her voice to be heard over the engine.

He turned to her with a roguish grin, calling out, "Not often. Well, not lately. Oh, and here, your brain bucket." He pulled his helmet off the handlebar and handed it to her. "Don't worry, I don't have cooties.

She took it from him, and thankfully yanked it on, strapping it on securely. "What about you?" She asked after raising the face guard.

He winked at her, and asked, "Worried? Don't be. I've never crashed." He laughed as he snapped down the face guard, and yanked her forward quickly, so she was forced to wrap her arms around his waist, and then he was off before she could blink.

She clung tightly to Damon as he sped through the city of Chicago, the buildings all turning into a blur around her as she looked out through the tinted helmet. In that moment, as they raced so fast that she couldn't see any landmarks, she had no idea where they were, and she felt lost, disoriented. But as she clung tighter to the hard body in front of her, she suddenly felt safe and secure, wrapped up in his jacket that smelled of smoke, and grease, and something unidentifiable. She briefly squeezed her arms around him, and then wondered if he recognized the gesture for what it was: A hug.

All too soon, they pulled up in front of the house she shared with Jeremy, an inconspicuous two-story, twenty minutes from the heart of the city, and thus the library. They had made the trip in ten minutes.

"Wow," she breathed as Damon cut off the engine and turned around on the bike to face her, still straddling it. She was struggling to catch her breath, dizzy from the fast and dangerous ride she'd just been on.

He chuckled at her reaction, surprising her as she thought he couldn't hear her through the helmet. "I know." He replied, and then jokingly added, "I told you I wouldn't crash."

She yanked off the helmet, and handed it to him, replying playfully, "No, you said you'd never crashed before. There's a first time for everything Damon."

"Never." He replied, his tone and eyes serious. "Not with you behind me. I've never driven so carefully in my entire life."

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask, '_That was careful?_' But she found the words stuck in her throat as she stared deep into his eyes, which suddenly seemed so _blue_. She wondered why she hadn't noticed them earlier, instead focusing on his dark dress and features. She felt like a fool for overlooking them, they were suddenly the only things she could focus on.

He tossed the helmet onto the grass, and then for the second time that evening, yanked her forward, causing her hips to meet his and her legs to become entwined amongst his own. He caught her and balanced her out, as she was startled by the sudden movement.

"You feel it too, don't you?" He asked, and all she could do was nod dumbly, and then he was smirking and leaning forward. The man that she had known for barely an hour, and whom she knew for a fact was a member of a dangerous gang, was going to kiss her… and she was going to let him.

Right as she could feel his lips ghost over hers, so close that she could feel his breath as it quickened in anticipation, her brother burst out of the house. "What the fuck is going on out here?" He roared, pointing at the two of them together so intimately, and she blushed as she realized that in their position of straddling the bike, they probably looked quite scandalous.

Elena found herself being pushed once again, but this time it was backwards, causing her to fly off the bike, luckily into the grass, where all that was injured was her behind and her pride. "What the hell?" She spat out, for once losing her control of her manners. In a matter of seconds, Jeremy was at her side, helping her up, and checking to make sure she was okay. She glanced to see if Damon was worried, not that he would be as he was the one who rudely shoved her off his bike, but she wanted to see what his expression was.

But when she looked in his direction, he was already getting back on his bike, snapping on his helmet, and then he was gone.

Jeremy barely paid his 'associate' any mind; too busy being concerned over his baby sister, helping her into the house though she was perfectly fine.

"Are you okay?" He asked, setting her down on one of the kitchen chairs, and then grabbing a beer before sitting down across from her.

She had to grin at the sight he made. Mussed up hair, ripped jeans, grease stained shirt, tattooed arm, and beer in hand. He looked like exactly what he was; a hardened gangster, except for the little detail of the expression on his face. It was the look of complete and utter parental concern.

Ever since their Aunt Jenna had left them two years ago to study at Princeton for her doctorate, Jeremy had taken on the role of caretaker and protector, doing his best do protect his little sister from all dangers, from rival gangs to paper cuts.

"I'm fine Jer, really, just a bruised butt," she teased, earning herself a scowl from him as he took a swig from his beer.

He narrowed his gaze at her, and she suddenly felt like she was being x-rayed. "What were you doing with Damon on his bike?"

She suddenly found herself unable to meet his eyes. "I don't know…." She replied hesitantly, stunned to realize it was absolutely true.

Her brother nodded and then leaned forward, locking her eyes with his own. "Elena, you have to hear me out on this, and take me seriously for once, don't write it off as me just being an older brother." She nodded, and then he continued. "Damon is a bad guy, alright? He's my second, my best friend, and I love him like a brother, and there's nobody I would trust more to have my back in a fight then him. But you're my sister, and quite frankly I love you more, so I have to tell you not to be with Damon. I know he seems mysterious and troubled, and knowing you, you want to save him, but _you can't. _He doesn't _want _to be saved." Jeremy finished his speech by taking a long sip from the bottle in his hands.

She wiped away the tears that had inexplicably sprung to her eyes before her brother could see them. Hearing him talk about Damon in that way stung her. She felt that they had shared something on his bike, a moment, and to hear that it was probably a farce, made her want to break something.

She forced a smile at him and replied in a cheerful tone, "Of course Jer! I honestly don't want to get involved with Damon. Didn't you know that he's a gangster?" She dropped her voice to a playful whisper on the last words, teasing her older brother, causing him to laugh.

"Yes, I _have _heard that. You should be careful; those gangsters can be mighty dangerous." And they burst into laughter together.

Their playful moment was interrupted by the ringing of their doorbell. Jeremy didn't seem surprised, so she figured that he was expecting company. He finished off his beer, and tossed it into the sink. "Go to your room Elena." He said firmly, rising from the kitchen table, and turning her to the direction of the stairs.

She wasn't surprised by his command, knowing that it had to do with his gang. He refused to ever tell her anything about it, telling her it was to protect her. She didn't bother fighting it, merely whirling around to kiss him on the cheek, before skipping up the stairs to her room, sneakily pausing on the top step so she could see who was at the door.

She gasped as it was Damon who came into view. He had his arms wrapped around two girls, one of which seemed to be for Jeremy, because she wiggled from Damon's grasp and into Jeremy's arms. The other girl seemed to be perfectly content to stay wrapped up in Damon's embrace.

As if he could feel eyes on him, Damon looked around the room, until he spotted her hovering on the stairs. As their eyes connected, she gasped, whirling away from him and into her room.

The rest of the night was spent working on typing up the paper she had written by hand in the library that afternoon. She congratulated herself on having the foresight to pre-write the paper, as she knew if she had had to write the whole thing that night she would have been distracted by the chatter and giggling that drifted up from the floor below.

It wasn't until she was finished typing her paper, and was getting ready for bed that she realized she was still wearing Damon's leather jacket. It was well worn and bulky, and it was huge on her. But she realized, as she stared at herself in the mirror while wearing it, that she had never felt more beautiful.

**A/N: Well, this is the first chapter of BoB. This is my second over all fic, but my first Vampire Diaries fic.** **The title is from a song by The Rolling Stones, with a cover done by Bette Midler. I feel that it could fit from everyone's perspective, from Elena, to Damon, even from Jeremy's point of view. Please don't be mad at Damon, remember, right now he doesn't want to be saved. This is a dark story, about gangs, fights, death, but it **_**is **_**still a love story, trust me on that.**

**Also, the reason why this story is located in Chicago is a matter I want to address now, because I know I will be questioned about it. I chose to place this story in Chicago because it involves gangs, and honestly? Gangs in Mystic Falls? So for the sake of this story, no one has ever lived in Mystic Falls. I chose Chicago specifically because of its ties with gangs in the 1920s. It seemed fitting.**

**So, if a guy were to give you his jacket, which would you prefer? A leather jacket or a letterman's jacket?**


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any characters within.**

**Most of us prefer leather jackets, though one of us doesn't care, letterman or leather, as long as a certain blue eyed vampire comes with it. I myself am partial to leather jackets. They last longer.**

**2.**

_Dear Diary;_

_Yesterday, I met a man… though he isn't much older than I am, it would be an insult to call him a boy._

_Damon is unlike anyone I've ever met. There's a darkness in him, I feel it. Jeremy confirmed it for me, and even warned me away from him._

_Though it's not like he's interested in me. I could have sworn he was going to kiss me before Jeremy barged in. I even thought he liked me, but I must have been wrong, with the way he showed up with those girls last night._

_He saw me, I know he did, but I don't think it stopped him from being with that girl._

_I wonder now, why he would lead me on like that. Was it just a game to him? Was he bored and thought messing with his 'associates' little sister would be a good way to pass the time?_

_Why is it that despite everything Jeremy told me, and my own instinct telling me this is a mistake, I just can't get Damon off my mind?_

I closed my diary with a sight, staring at my reflection and crinkling my nose at it. I remembered the girl with Damon from last night, and wondered what she has that I don't.

I was disturbed from my self-loathing by a text from Bonnie letting me know that she was waiting for me out front in her car. I hid my diary behind the mirror, brushed my hair one more time, and then grabbed my pom pom's, purse, and Damon's leather jacket. I had a full load, but I didn't want to forget to give the jacket to Jeremy to return to his friend.

I had briefly entertained the notion of just keeping the jacket, but it was well-worn, so clearly he used it a lot, and I figured he would be missing it. I had then considered slipping my number in the pocket of the jacket, but rejected the idea as being too desperate. Damon wasn't interested in me. I would have to get over that.

I ignored the feeling just thinking about Damon gave me, and headed down the stairs and straight into the kitchen. I giggled when I saw Jeremy sitting at the table with a cup of coffee, nursing a hangover. "Shhh," He said weakly, clapping his hands over his ears. "Not so loud."

"Sorry," I whispered, tiptoeing past him and pouring myself a to go cup of coffee. I tossed the jacket next to him as I went by, which caught his attention.

"Why do you have Damon's jacket?" He asked, still speaking in a feeble tone of voice.

I rolled my eyes at his protective tone of voice, and replied, "Because he gave it to me to protect me in case we crashed. I just forgot to give it back to him. Will you do that?"

"Do it yourself, he's sleeping it off on the couch." Jeremy replied, than winced when Bonnie honked her horn. I guess I was taking too long for her. "Tell the little witch to never do that again."

"Don't call her that!" I reprimanded, than gave him a kiss, and picked my stuff up again, precariously balancing the coffee on top of everything.

"You're leaving without breakfast?" Jeremy asked, his inner big brother shining through the hang over.

I twirled around for him, showing off my cheerleading outfit. "Today's game day, and you know what that means…."

"Ah, power breakfast. Well, fine go ahead. I'll see you at the game tonight. You staying after school until the game?" I nodded and he waved me off. "Get out of here before she starts honking again."

I laughed and headed towards the front door, tossing Damon's jacket on him as I passed the couch. He unexpectedly woke up and looked around blearily before focusing on me. "Cheerleader," he muttered, furrowing his brow.

I did the same, looking at him with concern. "Drunk," I replied, still ignoring the flutters I got from him. I headed out the front door, and slammed it hard behind me, relishing in the twin groans I heard from inside the house.

"Where have you been?" A very frazzled Bonnie asked me the moment I got into her car after stowing my gear in her trunk.

"Sorry, Jeremy and a friend had hangovers, and he was harping at me about not eating breakfast. What's the matter?"

"Look at the time, Elena! Look at it!" She pointed a shaking finger at the clock as she put the car in reverse and began backing out.

"Oh my god! It's nearly eight! But the breakfast starts at eight!"

"And now you see my dilemma. Caroline is going to kill us!" She stepped on the gas and I was thrown back in my seat slightly.

"Geez Bonnie, slow down! Caroline would kill us _metaphorically_; you are going to kill us _literally_." I said, clutching onto the door handle tightly, watching Chicago go speeding by us. Unlike with Damon on his bike last night, I didn't feel safe, I felt absolutely terrified.

"Ha, ha," she replied sarcastically, but still eased off the gas a little. "So your brother had one of his 'friends' over last night?" She looked over at me and wiggled her eyebrows conspiratorially. She was one of the only people who knew what my brother did. Everyone else thought he owned a mechanic's shop and managed our parent's estate for a living.

I laughed at her expression before leaning back with my eyes closed. "I wouldn't know. As usual I was sent to my room."

I glanced over at her to find her staring at me softly. "You know it's for your own protection Elena. Jeremy doesn't want to lose you." She didn't say 'too' but we both knew it was there, left unsaid.

We shared an uncomfortable silence until Bonnie broke it by asking about the paper from last night, and we moved onto other subjects. We made it to the school in record time, and we both breathed a sigh of relief in unison when we checked the clock. 7:58.

"Do you think she'll notice?" I whispered as we tried to inconspicuously insert ourselves amongst the other cheerleaders after we dropped our stuff off at our lockers. We were supposed to be in the cafeteria by eight to help set up for the power breakfast. Bonnie and I had snuck in at 8:05. The power breakfast was something that the cheerleaders set up for the football team every game day. Other students were allowed to attend with a dollar donation. Mothers brought the food, and we handed it out. It was a big deal, a time honored tradition at our school.

"Maybe not, I mean we were only…." Bonnie whispered back, but was interrupted.

"Five minutes late." We both groaned together and turned around to see Caroline Forbes, one of my best friends in the world, glaring down at us with her arms crossed.

"Caroline, we are really, really, really…." I began pleadingly.

"Save it! I can't believe you two! We are captains; we need to set an example!" She moved her hands to her hips, and her voice got more and more shrill on every word, causing us to wince. I wanted to say something back to her, but knew she had a point. All three of us, Caroline, Bonnie, and I shared the responsibility of being captain, and it was important to take it seriously.

"I'm sorry Caroline, but we're here now, so let's get started. We have a lot to do, right?" She reluctantly nodded, conceding to letting it drop, and we called the attention of the girls and mothers.

"Alright ladies, we've been doing this for five weeks now, we know the drill. The sooner we get started, the sooner we can eat!" Bonnie called out in her best cheerleader voice, and the volunteers immediately dispersed, giggling and chattering filling the room.

"Yes, food," I moaned dramatically, clutching my stomach. "I'm sooo hungry!" I squealed making Bonnie and Caroline laugh as we all launched into a discussion of what we were going to eat first. Like me, both of them had decided to go for the coffee route and wait for the big breakfast.

"Well, well, glad to see you ladies are hard at work setting up the breakfast," Tyler Lockwood said playfully as he entered the cafeteria with his best friend Matt Donovan. They were both wearing their football jerseys, so they were allowed to come into the cafeteria early. We all greeted them cheerfully, me especially so, glad to see that things weren't still awkward between Matt and I. We had dated briefly last year, when we were sophomores, and though we had decided we were better off friends, things were still uncomfortable for a couple of months or so.

"Oh! I'm glad you guys are here! You two can hang up the banner!" Caroline cried out, clapping her hands together.

"Gee, can we?" Matt asked sarcastically, but I could tell he would do it for her. Tyler as well. They both had big crushes on my blonde friend, but they still needed to put up a front.

"Why can't you do it yourselves?" Tyler groused predictably, but still putting down his back pack and walking over to the closet to grab the ladder. Bonnie and I rolled our eyes at each other.

"Um, have you seen us?" Caroline gestured at the room full of cheerleaders in our skirts. "We are wearing skirts! Climbing up ladders? I don't_ think _so!" We laughed at her expression while the guys set up the ladder and hung the banner with our careful supervision.

The breakfast, and the rest of the day passed by remarkably quickly, in a blur of big smiles and 'Go Panthers!'. Before I knew it, the last bell had rung, and we were heading out to the football field, hoisting the big tumbling mats.

"Caroline," Bonnie wheezed out as we made our way across the uneven ground, carrying the heavy mats, "Why don't you go smile and flirt at some footballers and get them to do _this _for us?"

"Don't be stupid Bonnie," Caroline snapped in an out of breath tone of voice. "I already tried. They have to warm for the game." We giggled at her predictability but quickly stopped as we needed all the breath we could get.

Once we had rolled out the mats, we began warming up and practicing, while the football players hooted and hollered at us from the practice field. In a matter of what felt like moments, the sky was darkening and the field lights were coming on.

"Alright ladies, it's show time!" I called out, and we picked up our pom pom's, pasted on our smiles, and Bonnie retrieved another banner. We headed out onto the field and unrolled it, and set everything up right in front of the entrance to the boy's locker room. By this point, the stadium had really filled up, with a bunch of screaming Panther fans taking up the majority of the bleachers.

We heard the announcer begin his intro, and quickly got into formation. One of the girls grabbed me and hoisted me on her shoulders, while across from me; Caroline was also lifted into the air.

"And now, the pride of Chicago, the heart of Illinois, I give you your home team, _the Beaumont Prep Panthers!_" We heard the announcer cry out, and we immediately started cheering wildly, and the girls holding the banner braced for impact.

The boys burst through the paper hooting and hollering, and charging onto the field. We immediately picked up all the paper and ran off the field and got into formation on the mats. Smiles brightly pasted on, we started our cheer with simultaneous hurkeys, and began shouting our cheer enthusiastically.

Midway through the second quarter I spotted Jeremy sitting in the stands and waved enthusiastically at him, to which he returned sarcastically. My grin faded slightly as my eyes landed on the person standing next to him. Damon. He was standing there with a smirk on his face, and he waggled his fingers at me, his eyebrows doing that _thing_ that they do that makes me blush.

I ignored him and focused back on my cheerleading, but while we were taking a break, I was reminded of him sitting in the stands when Caroline asked me, "So, who's the hottie?"

I rolled my eyes at her one track mind. "One of Jeremy's 'associates'," I replied, not bothering to elaborate. Besides Bonnie, Caroline also knew what Jeremy did. She would know what I meant.

"Wow. He's really hot for a gangster." She said, eyeing him appraisingly, like he was a piece of meat. I couldn't decide which sickened me more, the fact that she was acting like that, or the fact that Damon was returning her look with flirty eyes of his own.

"Caroline!" I hissed, glancing around nervously to make sure no one had overheard what she had blurted out.

"Sorry Elena!" She too looked around, but it looked like no one had been listening to our conversation.

We were disturbed when a horn sounded, and we heard the announcer saying, "It's halftime ladies and gentleman! While our boys take a break, feel free to enjoy the halftime show our girls put on for you. Introducing our Beaumont Preparatory Panther Cheerleaders!"

We took our spots on the mats, heads down and hands clasped in front of us. The minute we heard the beginning strains of 'Pop Star' by Pretty Little Problem, we went into motion, and the crowd went nuts. Our football team wasn't the only champions in the school. We had won first place at all the major cheerleading competitions for the past ten years.

I was a flier, the one who does all the flips and spins in the air. I used to be nervous about it, but at this point, as a junior, it didn't worry me anymore. Our squad was one of the best in the world, we simply didn't make mistakes, at least I didn't think so.

As the last round of the chorus pounded out through the stadium's speakers, I moved towards the centers of the mat, and felt myself get lifted into the air. The plan was for me to flip up, get caught in a basket toss, and flip back up to land squarely on my base' palm.

I don't know what happened, I don't know whose fault it was, and frankly I wasn't into casting blame, but as I came down into the basket toss and was flipped onto the base' palm, I found myself falling backwards, with no spotter there to catch me. I hit the mat. Hard.

Immediately the stadium was hushed, though I could hear my name being called by Jeremy frantically. Through a gap in the girls surrounding me, I saw through blurry eyes as he rushed down the stairs and vaulted the fence, Damon not far behind him.

Everyone was pushing in on me, demanding to know if I was okay, but I couldn't speak with the wind knocked out of me. All of a sudden, the trainer was there, telling people to move aside and give me space. "Elena, honey, I don't want you to sit up, I just want you to try and wiggle your toes and fingers for me. Can you do that?" Her motherly face was looking down at me in concern, while Jeremy, who had ignored her command to stay back, was right next to her, looking terrified. I could vaguely see Damon in the background, looking just as concerned. What did that mean?

I did as she asked, and was immensely relieved to find that I could move all my fingers and toes. I gave the trainer a big grin, which she returned immediately. "That's great Elena! Now, did you hit your head when you fell?"

I immediately shook my head no, remembering clearly that I had landed on my butt and back, and getting the wind knocked out of me. She sighed in relief. "You'll be fine sweetheart, you can sit up now."

Before the words were even finished leaving her mouth, I found myself in a tight hug, courtesy of my older brother. "Thank god," he breathed into my hair. "No more cheerleading Elena. It's too dangerous."

I rolled my eyes, and decided not to press the argument with him there in front of everyone. "Jeremy? Could you give me some air?" I asked delicately, still strangled from his tight hold on me.

He released me immediately, and turned to Damon saying, "She'll be fine." I was slightly gratified to see some color rush back into his pale, fearful face. Was he worried for me?

I was lifted off the mat to a resounding round of applause, and had to sit out for the rest of the game, with Bonnie who decided to keep me company. Luckily, the last two quarters went by fairly quickly, and soon enough, the game was over, and I was watching the girls lug the big heavy mats back up to the school. Suddenly, I felt really grateful to being 'injured'. Lugging those mats after a night of cheerleading was really no fun at all.

While they were putting them back in the gym, I changed into my party clothes and waited for Bonnie outside the locker room doors. "Elena," I heard someone call my name, and I turned around to see Jeremy there, with Damon following him as per usual. "Are you ready to go?"

"Go where?" I asked, confused. The plan was for me to ride with Bonnie to the victory party at Tyler's house, and then crash at her house for the night.

Jeremy took in my confused expression, and my outfit, and a stormy expression overtook his face. "You're not seriously going to that party are you?"

I gave him a bizarre look. "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I?"

He gave me a bizarre look of his own. "Because you were injured this evening, and because I forbid it!"

I glared at him, shocked that he was going this far. Ever since our parents passed away, Jeremy had been extremely protective of me, even when Jenna was technically our guardian, but he had never been this paranoid about me. "I'm not _injured_ Jeremy! All that happened was that I got the wind and my pride knocked out of me!" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Damon smirk at that, but I ignored him and continued on with my rant. "And you _forbid_ me Jeremy? Really? What is this, 1864?"

At that moment, Bonnie and Caroline walked out of the locker room and looked at the three of us curiously. "Problems?" Bonnie asked lightly, obviously trying to defuse the tension.

"No problems, you ready to go?" I asked with a fake smile on my face, already turning to walk away, when I thud. I turned in shock to see that Jeremy had slammed his fist against the wall. It hadn't broken through the blaster, but there was a definite imprint.

"Goddammit Elena, you're not going to that fucking party!" He yelled, the cry echoing through the hall.

I glared daggers at him. "Watch me." And I turned and walked away, listening as Caroline and Bonnie scurried to catch up with me.

"Are you sure about this?" Caroline whispered to me, being uncharacteristically sympathetic, uncertainty written all over her face.

"I'm sure," I snapped, bursting through the doors, and allowing my anger to propel me across the parking lot. "All I want to do right now is get extremely _drunk_."

I heard Bonnie sigh in resignation behind me. "Oh, this can only be good," she muttered before unlocking her car and allowing us all to pile in.

**A/N: Sorry about the long while between updates! About an hour after the first chapter was posted, my internet went down, and hasn't been up since. I've had limited computer use since then. From now on though, it should go to weekly posts, most likely on Wednesdays, as that is when I have the most computer access. **

**I know that the point of view has changed in this chapter, but one reviewer suggested first person, and I tried it out and thought it flowed better. When I have time, I will go back and correct the first chapter, changing it to first person. Bear with me though. From this point on, the chapters will be in first person, Elena's point of view.**

**Sorry about the lack of Damon in this chapter, but it was important to set up who this Elena is. She's kind of spoiled, popular, goes to a great school, and has pretty much everything she wants. This is going to be important in the future. And trust me; next chapter will make up for the lack of Damon in this one.**

**Also, don't judge on the cheerleading stuff. I have limited experience, so I tried to keep it as vague as possible.**

**So, cheerleader/athlete person, or introverted, join the yearbook staff type? **


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries.**

**I myself was an introvert in high school, but I was yearbook editor and head photographer. Popular by default.**

**3.**

Bonnie and I laughed maniacally, hanging off each other. We were drunk. The house where the party was being held was dark with flashing strobe lights everywhere, which was not really helping with my drunkenness.

I had arrived at the party, determined to forget all about Jeremy, and to find new guy to forget about Damon and his eyes. I sighed dreamily, thinking about his eyes, and then stumbled over my own feet, making me cackle with laughter all over again.

The plan to forget Jeremy was progressing nicely with every sip I took of my beer, but the plan to forget Damon had hit a little snag. Since arriving at the party, multiple boys had come up to me, and they had flirted, and I had charmed, but once they left to get me a drink, they never returned.

I was drunk, but I wasn't stupid. I was popular, gorgeous, and drunk out of my mind. There was absolutely no reason for guys to leave me alone.

The only thing that truly bothered me about the whole scenario was the fact that I had been reduced to getting my own drinks. And speaking of… I stared forlornly into my empty cup. "I'm going for a refill," I called to Bonnie and the rest of our group, shouting to be heard over the pounding music.

"Don't you think you've had enough?" A low voice murmured in my ear, causing me to jump in surprise. I whirled around to see Damon staring down at me, deadly serious. Even in my drunken haze, I noticed that he was wearing his leather jacket.

I blinked a couple of times, trying to register his presence, as the puzzle pieces slowly began to fall together in my head. "You!" I slurred out, trying to poke him in the chest, but missing and poking thin air. "What did you say to the guys?"

"I didn't say anything to them Elena, and I think it's time you went home. You proved your point to Jeremy, he's worried sick. We're leaving now," he said quietly, and before I could open my mouth to protest, he had bent me down, swept me off my feet, and was holding me bridal style.

He started heading towards the front door, but before he could get there, Bonnie and Caroline stumbled in front of him. "Where are you going with Elena?" Caroline demanded, hands on her hips in her classic domination pose.

Damon shifted me in his arms, and responded stonily, "Home. I'm taking her home." And he tried to walk around them, but they stepped back in his way.

"Oh, no you're not! You're not taking her anywhere!" Bonnie snapped, holding her ground, though she was swaying slightly. I actually teared up a little to see my friends, my beautiful friends, try to protect me even while they too were drunk.

"Caroline, Bonnie, it's okay, he's a friend of Jeremy's," I said weakly, wishing I could just go to sleep. Once they heard he knew my brother, they relaxed and let him pass by.

"You have good friends," he murmured down to me.

"The best," I slurred out, snuggling into him.

He chuckled, and then I felt him brush his lips against my forehead, or maybe I imagined that. "You deserve the best of everything," I heard him whisper, or maybe I imagined that too.

After that things, were kind of a blur of laughter, Damon's eyes, a blue car, lips, the smell of leather, and then the next thing I knew, I was being carried again.

I looked at my surroundings and noticed that I was being carried across my front lawn. Our front door slammed open, and then Jeremy was there, taking me from Damon. I was carried up the stairs and into my room, and placed gently on top of my bed.

"Jeremy…." I started to say, but he cut me off.

"Go to sleep Elena, we'll speak in the morning," with that, the light was turned off, and the door was closed.

* * *

I woke up slowly and painfully, blinking against the morning light streaming in through my window. I rolled over to see a glass of ginger ale sitting on my bedside table, sparkling in the morning light. Beside it laid two aspirin. I sat up, groaning from the pounding in my head, and swallowed the pills with the accompanying drink.

I staggered down the stairs, praying for the aspirin to kick in immediately. "Well hey little sister!" Jeremy shouted from his position in one of the arm chairs, where he had clearly been waiting for me. I groaned at his obnoxiously loud tone.

"Please Jeremy, please, please be quiet." I whispered, stumbling towards him.

"Paybacks a bitch, huh?" I heard a voice coming from the couch, and stumbled back in surprise as Damon popped his head up, smirking. My hand immediately went up to my hair which unfortunately was doing a good impression of a bird's nest.

My mind cast about for a reason to get Jeremy out of the room. "Hey Jeremy, do you mind grabbing me some coffee?"

He shrugged and went into the kitchen while I made my way to one of the armchairs and curled up in it. Damon watched me intently the whole time from his position on the couch.

"What happened last night?" I whispered to him, keeping one eye on the kitchen. It was important to figure out what had gone on during the time my memory blanked, but I definitely didn't want Jeremy hearing about it.

"You called me your brother's watchdog." He didn't seem particularly offended, just more amused than anything.

"Well, you scared off all the guys interested in me!" I retorted, still careful to keep my voice low.

His smirk widened. "I told you last night Elena, I never spoke a word to any of them."

I crossed my arms. He wasn't fooling me. "So what _did_ you do?"

His eyes flashed dangerously. "I showed them my gun."

I pursed my lips at his statement. I so wasn't going to go there. I had something more pressing on my mind than the fact that he seemed to enjoy scaring off high school boys. "Did we… kiss last night?"

He hesitated, and I thought he wasn't going to answer me, but finally he replied, "You kissed me."

I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes in embarrassment. I wondered what else I had done in a bout of drunken stupidity. But then I remembered something. "You liked it. You like me."

He leveled me with a stare so piercing I knew I had hit the nail on the head. "Why won't you admit it?"

He cocked his head and studied me as if I was a fascinating specimen he had never seen before. I blushed under his frank and open perusal of my person. He was silent for so long that I thought for sure that he would ignore my question this time, but he replied eventually, speaking so low I could barely catch it. "Have you ever heard of Helen of Troy?"

I was stunned and at a lost for a second until brief flashes from a history lesson I barely paid attention to surfaced to the forefront of my mind. "The woman that all the men fought over? With the Trojan Horse thing?"

He nodded solemnly. "Helen of Troy was so beautiful; men willingly gave up their lives for her. When she was a young woman, her father gathered all the kings of the Greek city states to vie for her hand in marriage. But there was a catch; before they could compete and vie for her hand, they had to make an oath. But it wasn't just any oath. In that time period, if you made an oath or a vow, you kept it under penalty of death. They had to make an oath saying that if Helen was ever in danger, they would do whatever they could to protect her, even if it meant they themselves would die."

He stopped there and smirked at the confused look on my face. I thought he was answering my question, not giving me a history lesson.

"You're brother doesn't tell you much about the gang does he?" At the shaking of my head, he nodded, not at all surprised. "I didn't think so. Well, just like with fighting for Helen's hand in marriage, to even be considered to join the gang, you have to make an oath. Can you guess what that oath is?"

"Damon, enough." My eyes snapped up to see my brother standing behind the couch holding two mugs of coffee, both of them shaking in his rage. "Get out. I'll deal with you later."

"No," I objected, even as Damon was getting up and grabbing his jacket and his keys. "Jeremy, it's not his fault, I asked him a question, and he was just giving me an answer." Albeit, it was a cryptic one, and I hadn't heard the full answer, but it was still something. Plus, I now knew that he did in fact like me.

"Don't worry about it Elena," Damon replied before exiting the house. It was silent as Jeremy and I stared at each other. Vaguely I could hear from outside the sound of Damon's car starting up, and then the purr of its engine fading as he left the neighborhood.

Jeremy glared at me, and then turned back to the kitchen. I could hear him tossing the coffee down the drain, and slamming things around. I gave him a moment to calm his temper before following him.

I found him leaning against the counter, clutching it in whitened fists as he stared broodily out of the window.

"What was he talking about Jeremy?" I asked softly, not wanting to set him off even more.

He didn't even turn around, but I saw his back tense up. "Leave it alone Elena."

"No," I stood my ground. "I want to know. What was the oath that your members have to make?"

He turned around, and I flinched at the raw and unadulterated rage in his eyes. "For God's sake Elena, when I tell you to leave something alone, I FUCING WANT YOU TO LEAVE IT ALONE! Don't you get that? Don't you ever think that there might be a _reason_ I'm asking you to leave it alone? All I want to do is to protect you, but you won't let me! You have to be a cheerleader, you have to get drunk off your ass at parties, and you have to ask about confidential gang information!"

I glared at him, determined not to back down. "So this is about me going to the party last night?"

"No, Elena, this is about you doing stupid shit like _getting drunk at parties_! It's why I didn't want you to go! What would you have done if a guy had attacked you?"

"Nothing! I wouldn't have to, with Damon there, your little pet guard dog," I spat out contemptuously.

He opened his mouth to shoot off a reply- probably profane- but was interrupted when the doorbell rang. I shot him a scathing glare before stalking over to answer it.

"Surprise!" I felt my anger melt away when faced with my two best friends in the world holding my hangover food, tacos and a chocolate shake.

"We felt like shit this morning when we woke up, and figured you did too!" Caroline said cheekily acting not at all like she felt like shit. I wasn't surprised.

"Plus, we figured Jeremy was giving you hell about going out last night," Bonnie explained more fully, and guessing my problems immediately.

I grinned at them halfheartedly and then shot a glance towards the kitchen where Jeremy was probably still standing, waiting to continue our argument. I slipped my feet into some boat shoes I kept by the door and grabbed my jacket from the hook. "You're both right. Can we take them on the road?"

"Absolutely! Where do you want to go? I have my dad's Bentley today, so the road is ours," Bonnie announced, uncharacteristically dramatic, probably sensing I just needed some silliness in my life.

"Vegas baby!" Caroline said with a snap of her fingers and we all laughed as we climbed into the car. As we pulled away, I could see Jeremy standing in the window, watching us with his cell phone to his ear.

I immediately went to my purse on reflex to check my own phone, but realized that they were both sitting on my vanity, in my room. I smiled with satisfaction.

I was free.

**A/N: Things are heating up a little, and yay! We now know that our gangster has a thing for our resident good girl! It's official! But what are they going to do with that attraction?** **Stay tuned to find out!**

**What's your preferential hang over cure?**


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